Top 5 ways telematics can help your business win tenders in 2023

Winning bids is critical to sustain and grow your business. However, submitting tenders for new business contracts can be a detailed and lengthy process without any guarantee of success. For any business that operates fleets, the requirements are becoming more and more sophisticated.

Tenders and contracts typically require you to account for and provide in-depth, accurate data and evidence to support your application. On top of that, you need to address safety and sustainability and demonstrate that your service is second-to-none. There’s a lot to consider.

As we approach the end of the year, it’s an ideal time to review your tendering process to give your business the best chance for success in 2023. What’s the easiest way? Typically instantly available, the best way to improve your chance of winning bids is to invest in telematics technology that can collect and collate the data and insights in real-time, giving you the information you need to support your proposal.  

Here are the top 5 ways telematics can help you win those crucial tenders in the new year.

1 Know your narrative

First and foremost, before you even consider telematics or data, you need to understand your why – and that means asking yourself and your team a lot of questions. This is the first step in writing a successful tender application.

Why is your business the best fit for the project? Are the decision-makers on the panel looking for someone local? Does diversity matter? Do you have a long history and deep understanding of the client's needs? Look at the big picture, then consider the detail.

This lets you tell a story of why your team will be the most capable. Once you know your why, you’ll have a better idea of what data you’ll need from your telematics system to support your application and the needs of the project. The why gives your application a solid foundation to build on; telematics data creates the structure, so you can give the client exactly what they want.

2 Using data as evidence

Numbers should be woven throughout your proposal to provide further credibility to your bid. If you take the time to include and attach evidence to show that you have researched and will do what you are proposing, you’ll earn the trust of whoever is reading your tender. Instead of an empty promise, you’re showing you take the process seriously and can back-up any claims.

This is where telematics really saves the day; rather than having to sort through paperwork and gather the insights manually, it’s all available on a digitised system, so you can quickly find the figures you need. Plus, it’s accurate. Businesses appreciate the accuracy that telematics data offers; it makes your claim stronger while letting them know you’ll be able to give timely updates whenever they ask for it – if you win the job.  

You can also use the data from your telematics system to predict timelines, forecast costs and show your potential client that you can deliver on time and on budget. Using data-driven insights, you can more accurately pitch for work and stay competitive.

3 Transparency amid rising costs

While cost isn’t the one-and-only part of a successful bid, it’s undoubtedly a huge factor. It’s no secret that record-high fuel prices have added a spanner in the works for Australian businesses through 2022. Given fuel can make up anywhere from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of a fleet’s operating budget, it’s crucial to let the client know that you have ways to control costs if fuel prices continue to fluctuate.

Telematics can offer that transparency amid a changing climate; this can help ease your future clients’ worries if you point out how you use telematics to control costs in your tender. Your telematics system can prove how you cut costs and ensure the lowest operating costs possible – by optimising routes, improving fuel-efficient driving and ensuring your vehicles are well-maintained.

On the same transparency track, telematics can help you demonstrate to the client that your staff are safe, your vehicles are in perfect condition, and you run an efficient operation. Even if something goes wrong, you have the visibility to provide the best customer service possible.

4 Sustainability isn’t just a nice-to-have

More tenders now require a level of sustainability, such as carbon zero initiatives and a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Given this increasingly common expectation, you need to demonstrate you can effectively meet sustainability requirements by reducing your emissions and decreasing your footprint.

Telematics helps you cut emissions by showing you where you can improve fuel efficiency and thus reduce your impact. With the data from your telematics system, you can monitor your CO2 output with a vehicle-by-vehicle breakdown of carbon emissions and fuel consumption. You can use this data to target key areas of concern by enhancing your route planning, reducing engine idling and improving fuel efficiency. You can use this data to accurately show your progress toward ESG goals in your tender application.

It shows your business is dedicated, responsible, and a cut above the rest.

5 Quality reporting equals quality customer service

Reporting is the final but perhaps most important step in the tender process. Quality reporting is essential for great customer service.

In-depth automated reports through telematics can boost your credibility on your tender application. You can showcase how you have improved efficiencies and cost-cutting measures over time and demonstrate that you have a better chance at predicting – and avoiding – potential issues. You’ll build trust with your client by giving examples of the reports you can offer if you win the job.

Reporting is also essential for you and your business to help you understand your tender wins and losses. If you can’t understand where you went wrong, you won’t be able to get it right next time. Tracking which types of tenders are successful and which are rejected can help ensure you spend your resources and time where they have the greatest chance of success.

A vision for the future

The challenges and hassles of day-to-day business operations can too often prevent business leaders from considering the bigger picture. The same is often true of tender applications, rushing to get as many completed as possible, working to last minute deadlines and causing unnecessary stress to the team.

By taking the time to step back and review your processes, you can become more effective and successful with each tender you submit. Call it a new years’ resolution – one that will pay dividends well into the future.